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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · temple · craft · mine · spring · last · lie · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. last — finally
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. last — final
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. craft — a skill
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mine — for digging
  15. craft — boats
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. dip — to sink
  23. last — to go on
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com